


A Pained Picture

by KasperAura



Category: Forever (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-02-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 07:10:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3438191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KasperAura/pseuds/KasperAura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One fateful encounter leads Adam needing Lucas's help with something. His plan includes three things. Him, Henry, and pain. Lots of pain.<br/>Part one of the "Forever Z" series, a crossover between Dragon Ball and Forever with only Forever characters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Pained Picture

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to thank cytoplasmridiculum for working on this with me. It was something to get my friend to watch Forever and then turned into a really epic story. So yeah...thanks!

The clock struck 11:00 am. _Finally!_ Lucas thought after glancing at the clock. _Lunch time._ Lucas would normally read his graphic novels during this time, but he just felt like he needed some fresh air. The most recent body was found two weeks after death in warm weather. It made him lose his appetite. Bacteria are great at their jobs. 

After telling Doctor Morgan that he needed some air, Henry wished Lucas well, reminding him to return on time. They were expecting inbound body shipments. It had been a busy day and was sure to continue steadily until the end of the day.

Slipping his lab coat from his shoulders, he placed it on the hook on the wall, and took a deep breath. He made his way to the stairs, walking up the fifth floor and opening the old metal door at the top.

When he stepped outside, a gust of wind came and blew his hair around, the soothing coolness hitting his face. He sighed in pleasure as he enjoyed the afternoon, despite it being overcast. It was as if the peace couldn’t be broken. Besides, heights never bothered him anyways.

But suddenly, from Lucas’ peripheral vision, there was a quick movement. An abrupt dread came over him. He cast a glance to the left and right suspiciously, only to see nothing.  
Had he just imagined it? No, he was never wrong before. Okay, he was wrong a lot, but his senses were never wrong.

Lucas turned on his heels and stood silently when he heard a sound. It came from around the other side of the roof.

 _This is how people die in horror films,_ Lucas thought to himself as he softly stalked towards the movement. 

As he came around the back of the roof, his blood froze. 

Standing there was a figure in a black suit, a hat donned on his head. He stood precariously on the ledge of the building, hands arranged calmly behind his back.

“Hello, Lucas”, the figure said in a dark, gravelly voice. “I have a special project for you. Something Henry will enjoy.”

Lucas didn’t even seen it coming. The man was so fast, a blur of black, and then searing pain in his face. The unfamiliar figure had thrown a well-aimed punch right into his left cheekbone, rendering him immobile for a few seconds. Lucas didn’t have time to get up and counter, by then the figure reached down and grabbed him by the neck holding him in the air. 

It was only then Lucas recognized the man in front of him. The man’s grip on his throat was all too familiar. Henry’s rival, Adam.

Lucas didn’t have time to muse on that, because by any deity that existed, it hurt. The hand that held his throat clenched hard but, it gave him an opportune moment. In the nick of time, Lucas brought his left foot up, slamming it into Adam’s chest. This made him stumble back a bit, but in no time at all, he recovered from the desperate attack.

“Pitiful.” He simply spoke, chuckling. “You’ve been keeping up with your training, I see. We can use this.”

Lucas took a defensive stance. A beginner’s one, but a stance he was the most comfortable with. This man wanted a fight. So he would get one.

However, faster than Lucas could react, Adam’s knee made contact with his abdomen, causing Lucas to double over. A mistake. 

“You see, Lucas, we need to make quite a scene here for Henry. Those pathetic defensive wounds of yours will add to the masterpiece. Violent brush strokes conveying a dynamic portrait.” He raised a hand, gesturing to the body in front of him. “You will be one of my many paintings.”

Lucas coughed, placing his forearm near his chest, but in vain. The man’s fist made its mark on his Adam’s apple causing Lucas to lose his breath for an agonizing moment. 

As Adam made his made his move to finish off the boy when something caught his gaze, but it was too quick for him to see. All of a sudden, a searing pain ran through his face. The force of the blow knocked him away, causing him to skid across the ground, and a few seconds after, he was able to gain footing and and stop himself altogether, getting back on his feet almost instantly. A growl escaped Adam’s throat as he recognized the interloper.

\-----------------

Henry knew something was wrong. 

Given all of his time he could not yet pin a description on his senses for death. But it was there and it was _strong._

He tried to place himself in Lucas’ shoes--straining as it was--Henry calculated where Lucas might go. His comic books--no, wait--graphic novels were still on the table and his lunch uneaten. The first blaring red flag. The metro keycard still hung from its hook. Lucas couldn’t be far off. 

_Of course,_ Henry remembered, _the decomposed body would make him lose his appetite, but he would have been back to eat it not soon after leaving. Lucas had been blathering earlier about how delicious his lunch would be._

Henry carefully pulled his examination gloves off, tossed them into the trash, removed his lab coat, and rushed towards the break room. Henry swiftly entered the break room only to find it empty. He thought back to their last conversation, spun on his heels, and dashed towards the morgue entrance.

As he stepped outside, a distressed noise caught his attention. It sounded...sickly, in a way. Almost as if it was something was scraping against asphalt. He looked up to the roof on a glance and saw a blur. It was quick, but he saw it.

The scraping. The blur. Could it be...? 

\------------

Henry could have won a marathon from how fast he ran up the stairs. He reached the roof, opened the door, and his fears were confirmed. He could hear a scuffle happening around the other side. As Henry peeked around the other side he saw the figure standing over another man. It was Lucas.

Who was that figure? 

Then it hit him as the puzzle pieces clicked into place. It was Adam and he was using Lucas to get to him. No way would he let that happen.

He ran around the corner, just as Adam was rearing up an attack to add Lucas to his kill count. Skidding across the ground slightly, he used the momentum to give a good, solid and satisfying punch to his opposer’s face, which sent him skidding across the ground before he easily regained his footing as Henry made the mad dash to block Lucas from Adam.

Of course, Adam had gotten there before Henry did, blocking him off from his assistant.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Adam gave a smirk, “I cannot allow you to see him just yet.” He raised both arms up, shrugging. “He simply isn’t complete yet.”

Henry gave a low growl, but chose to ignore Adam for the the moment to focus on Lucas. Lucas was riddled with light wounds, as the scale of wounds went in Henry’s mind at least. So long as Adam didn’t attempt to harm him in any other way, he would be able to recover soon.

“Lucas, don’t worry. Your death will be apart of something bigger," Adam soothingly reassured him.

Lucas was trying to crawl, his skin scraping against the rough asphalt. 

“Most people are never apart of something bigger. Simply blips in time, without meaning. Lucas, you could be Henry’s nudge towards, let’s call it ‘enlightenment’, for this particular painting.” Stepping back, he slammed his foot into Lucas’s stomach. “How does that theme sound to you? It blends perfectly in my ears.”

“Adam, cease this nonsense!” Henry yelled towards him. “You obviously want me. I’m here. Just leave him out of it. You and I both know he’s not strong enough to fairly take you on.”

Adam focused his eyes back on Henry. “Yes. That is true. We both have more experience in the fighting field than he does. However, what’s the fun in letting him go?” He got around the backside of Lucas, nudging him from a fetal position to face upwards, producing a jagged knife from his vest.

As he was about to bring it down on the boy, Henry intercepted the knife, grabbing Adam’s hand and pulling it back. 

“I said... _leave him alone._ ” Henry met Adam’s gaze, fury burning in his eyes.

Adam simply looked amused, as if everything was going his way. Bringing his arm with the knife back, he aimed it at the doctor’s chest, but before the knife made its mark, Henry wrenched the knife free from Adam’s hand, and in the next few seconds, he made his way behind Adam, grabbing Lucas’s shirt and moving behind him a few paces, successfully freeing his student.

Adam kept his smirk on as he turned around. “That’s no way to fight, you know.” He held up a finger, waving it back and forth. “Come now.”

Henry quickly looked back at Lucas as he coughed pitifully. He knew his student would recover, but that knowledge did not stop his concern. 

Henry looked back at Adam. "Keep him out of this," he hissed.

"I warned you about caring, did I not?" Adam shrugged. "It's your fault he's like this." He paused for a second, meeting Henry's stare. "But enough talk, don't you agree? I want to see how your training has been coming along." Throwing off his overall cloak, Adam spread his legs and shifted into a battle-ready stance, one that Henry was not aware of.

Henry placed a finger to his chin. _A new stance, huh...?_ He thought to himself. 

He decided to play it safe, switching out of an offensive stance and into more of a defensive stance. He knew that Adam most likely had some new techniques up his sleeve, so this stance was the best for now. He had to gauge him and then, when he was mindful of what Adam could pull, he would move forward fearlessly.

For a minute, both fighters just stood there, unmoving. Each of them waited for each other to make a move, because the first move was sure to start a chain reaction that would continue for a long time, but they both also knew that the first move wasn't always the best to make. It's better to have your opponent move first, so you can predict better what moves they will make and what stances they will play with while they fight.

A gust of wind came, blowing their hair around, and then the battle's curtains opened to the first act. Adam came forward, opening up for a solid kick, but Henry was able to get out of the way quick enough to sidestep the attack, and then, using the momentum from that move, he was able to get behind Adam, rearing back his right fist, hoping to get a fluent attack in.

Of course, that moment never came, for when he pulled back his arm, Adam was ontop of him, grabbing Henry's arm and, pulling him towards him, slamming his knee into his stomach.

The blow caused him to reel for a bit, which opened up Adam the opportunity to give him a kick to the lower chest, which sent Henry sprawling across the ground, but not before he was able to regain himself within a few seconds. He stood up slowly, legs spread out and knees bent, a sign that he wasn't giving up. He gave his opposer a stare-down, causing Adam to smirk once again, angering Henry further. 

Rushing towards him again, Henry tried to knock back a punch with his right arm, but Adam proved too quick for him, already anticipating his attack. He simply sidestepped Henry, which left him dragging himself forward with the momentum, which gave Adam the perfect opportunity to grab Henry by the back of his shirt vest, tugging him downwards and throwing him hard into the asphalt roof.

"Funny." Adam began, crossing his arms. "I would have thought you'd have been better."

Henry layed there for a second, looking up at Adam. "I am. You just surprised me." He admitted. He suddenly hopped back onto his feet, bring his right leg up and, finally, got a sturdy kick in and, while Adam was reeling from the attack in slight shock, he grabbed him by the shirt and, summoning up all his might, was able to chuck him over the side of the building and onto the roof of the building beside them..

His plan, of course, was to lure Adam away from Lucas, just to make sure that, if he did need the boy's help, he could have time to rest.

After a running start, Henry stepped on the precipice of the roof, and, using the momentum, parkoured his way over to the next roof quite gracefully, skidding to a halt only a mere two feet away from his opposer. 

Both of them continued to stare at each other before Adam dropped his stance altogether, standing back up, a smirk on his face.

Henry raised an eyebrow in mild confusion and, seeing as Adam would not attack him for the time being, he too dropped his stance, standing back up.

"You forfeit?" Henry asked, shifting his head to side like a curious dog. It surprised him, as well. Adam was never one to forfeit, and that smirk he held was mysterious. He just couldn't figure him out.

Adam merely shook his head. "Nay, I do not. I do, however, want to place upon you a question."

Henry felt as if this were a trap, to merely catch him off guard, but if that was so, then his opposer would have kept his stance. Raising a hand, he gestured for him to continue.

Hands behind his back, Adam began to pace back and forth. "Tell me, Henry, have you heard of something called...aura?"

Henry's eyes widened in surprise. Yes, he had heard of it. It existed in beings that were immortal, and his studies had supported this hypothesis, but no matter how many times he had tried, he just couldn't control it. Deciding to stick with a basic answer that would make him sound the least suspicious, he nodded.

"Yes, I have." He responded.

Adam stopped pacing at his response, then looked over to him. That's when the gears in Henry's head began to turn.

"In my tests..." He began, unsure if what he would say would be the correct answer, "I have come to the conclusion that it can be brought out in one way."

Adam nodded. "Yes. We are on the same page now." He raised a gloved finger. "Anger...am I right?"

"Yes..." Henry squinted his eyes at Adam suspiciously, and then his eyes widened in realization. "I see...you're using me as a test subject." He clenched his fist into balls at his side. "Injure and almost kill my student and then force me to bring it out. That's your plan?!"

"You've got me figured out. Astute as always." Adam raised his arms. "I would expect nothing less from my rival."

Henry gave a smirk and scoffed, once again taking a stance, this time, a purely offensive one.

"Sorry...but that won't work." And with that, and a battle cry of sorts, Henry charged his opponent, catching him off guard with a solid right hook and, getting around his back to follow up with a kick to the spine, but Adam saw his attack coming and, turning around, grabbed his leg and, once again, slammed him into the ground, harder this time.

Henry got back on his feet almost instantly, but soon, his posture slouched and he was left breathing hard. The last attacks had left him somewhat winded, but he wouldn't give up. Catching his breath, he charged Adam once again, albeit it a bit recklessly.

Hoping to land a right hook, he knocked back the attack, but Adam simply sidestepped him again, but this time, Henry had seen that coming and, turning around to face him, brought his leg up and gave him a solid roundhouse kick to the side of his chest.

Adam stumbled back a bit, but soon he recovered, as if the attack had no affect of him whatsoever.

Henry squinted his eyes ever so slightly. _It's like my attacks are having no effect..._ he thought to himself. He decided to try a different approach. He started to rush forward again, aiming for a left hook this time. He expected Adam to try and weave around the attack, where Henry would then counter attack him.

Well, that moment never came. Adam simply took the attack head-on. As Henry drew back, clearly surprised, Adam caught his footing again, looking him in the eyes.

"Winded, are we?" He spoke as if he already knew the answer.

Henry gave him a strong scowl. No, he was not winded. He had only just begun.

Or at least, that's what he wanted to think. Instead, after that comment, he suddenly felt tired, in a sense. His tight stance suddenly dropped, his shoulders slumping, and he, again, was left trying to catch his breath. 

"You did this to yourself, you know..." Adam stated matter-of-factly, "You put too much energy into your attacks."

 _Damn...he's right..._ Henry thought. Seeing Lucas on the ground brought up his anger, and he just wanted to kill--rekill--the man who had done this to his student, but, in his wake of doing so, he had exerted too much energy trying to complete that task. The final nail on the coffin was when he had grabbed Adam by the shirt and flung him onto the next roof. In other words, he had been fighting himself the whole time.

Sure, every being inside his body wanted to, so to speak, "do away" with the man in front of him, but without the energy to do so, he wouldn't be able to complete that task.

Maybe it had been that he was too focused on defeating him that he didn't give up when he should have. Instead of simply forfeiting, he charged again with a loud battle cry, already jumping into a right hook. He was only partly aware that he was telegraphing his techniques for Adam to see, but he wasn't able to stop the attack, because a second later, Adam caught his fist in his palm, halting the momentum altogether.

Henry looked at him, his eyes wide in shock. How had he been so careless as to basically show Adam what attack he would do? 

He hadn't had time to muse on that thought, because Adam made his move, releasing his grip on Henry's fist and then bringing his arm up, grabbing for his throat and, finally, hanging him in the air.

Henry was stirpped of his breath, as he didn't see the strike coming until it was too late. He was left shaking back and forth, trying to free himself but failing horribly. Aware that he would die of suffocation if he kept moving, he allowed his body to cease all movement, dropping limp. He raised his head to stare into the eyes of his opposer.

"Funny," Adam began, "When you're at the end of the rope, all you can do is let go." He clenched his hand harder, forcing Henry to let out a yell of pure pain with what breath he had left, and then he softened up his grip as he watched with amusement as Henry fought a losing battle to regain his breath.

As Adam held Henry in the agonizing grip, unbeknownst to both of them, a third person began to stir close by. Lucas held his head up, one eye closed in pain, before he noticed what was transpiring in front of him. As he began to stand up and regain his balance and his breath, he saw Adam tighten the grip on his mentor's throat, which made him suddenly alert and ready to fight. Maybe this time, the student would protect the teacher. He let the adrenaline and anger flow through his body as he mentally prepared himself.

Ignoring the screaming pain in his legs and abdomen, he gave a ferocious battle cry and charged at the twosome, fighting the pain that wanted to halt him in his tracks. Surprising Adam, he came down with a low kick, effectively tripping Adam as he released his grip on Henry's throat, who fell to the roof with a muffled thud as Adam almost immediately regained his balance, no trace of pain anywhere on his face. In fact, he held his amused look.

"You still have fight left in you?" He gave a half smirk as Lucas held his stance, one that was both defensive and offensive. Taking that as a yes to his question, Adam nodded once and then, his expression turning serious, he dropped into a stance and charged the boy, letting out a somewhat frustrated yell.

Lucas, now alert more than ever, was able to dodge and weave his way around Adam, almost performing a deadly dance of sorts. He came in with quick jabs that were meant to feint him and throw him off balance, and then stepped it up with a more powerful attack before returning to the fake ones. It was like watching a fencing match. It was graceful yet savage.

Using this, he eventually backed Adam into a corner and came at him with a powerful roundhouse kick to the face which sent the immortal skidding across the ground before coming to a stop, getting up slower this time. He looked back to Lucas, who held a victorious smirk.

Henry, just now beginning to wake from the attack that Adam had done to him, had witnessed the entire battle. He gave a smirk, proud of Lucas. Sure, he had given him a few of the basic moves that he himself knew, but Lucas had taken over from there, finding his own path. As he caught his breath, he watched Lucas actually physically back Adam into a corner.

_If I were in a better state, I might have actually praised Lucas..._

As he watched the twosome fight, he quickly assessed the situation. Even if Lucas kept backing Adam into a corner and confusing him, soon enough, Adam would catch onto his attacks and gain the upper hand, and then that's when things would get messy. He began to stand up, painful as it may be, and rubbed the corner of his mouth, wiping the blood off of it.

Taking his attention away from the twosome for now, he mentally focused himself, bringing his anger down to a controlled point within his being. No matter what, he couldn't give Adam what he wanted. He was no tool or lab rat. He was...himself.

Waiting for the right opportunity to jump in and strike, he turned his attention back towards the fight. Adam had already noticed Lucas's little ploy and Adam began to dodge around him instead. When Lucas got one more fluent attack in, which left Adam reeling, that's when he launched himself into fray with a battle cry.

Adam noticed Henry from the corner of his eye, and a smirk crossed his face. In a quick movement, he elbowed Lucas in the stomach, which left him dazed, and then he strategically stepped back a bit and held his stance as Henry charged him, aiming for a solid punch. Weaving his way around the barrage of attacks, he saw his opening shortly after and threw a well-aimed kick to his chest, which left him dazed for a second. Lucas then saw his opportunity and rushed him, getting in front of Henry to protect him as he regained himself.

There was a split second pause before, getting around the front of him, Henry was hoping to land a fluent attack. Adam saw it coming and was able to dodge around it, before bringing his arm up to defend against an attack sent by Lucas.

They both came at him at the same time, two on one. The odds may have been in Henry and Lucas' favor, but Adam was too cunning for that. Catching them both off guard, he grabbed Henry by the neck and pinned him against the wall of the door. Lucas, as he expected, then came in behind him, aiming for a punch. As he noticed this, Adam quickly stepped away, and Lucas, not being able to stop the momentum from his attack, instead ended up hitting Henry, which sent him sprawling to the ground in surprise as Lucas drew back apologetically.

Adam stepped back a bit. "I thought you two were on the same team?" He mocked.

"Sorry, doc..." Lucas began his apology, but Henry raised a hand to halt his thoughts as he painfully stood up, wincing at the movement.

"It was not your fault. There is no need for an apology." He stood up as much as he could, still slightly slouching his pose. He glared at the man in front of him. "I have an idea, but it's risky. Will you trust me?" He stood up straighter, focusing himself.

"I will." His student responded, getting into a fighter's stance. As he did so, Henry charged Adam once more, but he didn't rear up an attack. Instead, Adam tried to throw a punch at him, but Henry got around his back, pulling him into a full nelson. Adam began to struggle, as Henry expected. Given the current situation, he wouldn't be restrained for long.

Henry looked over Adam's shoulder, staring his student in the eyes. "Lucas." He began, "You must stab us both with the blade." He was referring to the knife that he had wrenched from Adam's grip and dropped on the roof. It laid pitifully near the door.

"But, doc!" Lucas shouted, confused like a hurt puppy. Henry taught him all disciplines except for how to take a life.

"We have little time!" He shouted, anger rising up in him. "Do as you're asked!" As he said this, he could feel his energy rapidly depleting. The moment he let go, Adam would tear Lucas apart.

At Henry’s ferocity, it jarred something in Lucas. He would never ask such a task of him unless it was absolutely necessary. He looked at the twosome before nodding. He rushed over to grab the blade, and when he gripped it, it was cold in his hand, like the man who wanted his mentor dead.

At that, Adam began to struggle again, fighting Henry's tight restraint with rapidly growing progression. Gripping harder, Henry shot Lucas a pleading look as he raised the blade in front of him, preparing himself.

"After your failure, boy, I shall finish my painting," Adam sneered, "I will cut out your precious master's heart and that will be the last thing you'll see before you die!" He fought harder, and Henry was losing the battle to maintain his hold on him.

"Now!" Henry shouted to his student, half begging.

"Can't you see the boy's shaking?" Adam spoke again, "He will not do it. Not with your life-" He was cut off as something cold and metallic was thrust through his chest in a quick motion, causing him to yell in dramatic pain, and subsequently, Henry let out a yell. The blade was long enough to pierce both of them.

Adam reached out to attack the boy as a reflex, but, gripping the blade, Lucas pulled sharply and tore it out, causing the rivals to yell again in immense pain. Adam rapidly recovered, reaching back and kicking the outside of Henry's knee. 

Henry hissed in response to the pain and, when his knee gave out, Adam broke free of the grip as Henry fell the ground in pain, unable to stand up. He could only watch as Adam, now slightly angry, charged Lucas, rearing up an attack.

Lucas brought up the blade to defend himself, but Adam reached out in a motion, gripping the blade and harshly ripping it from his grasp. Using his free hand, he clutched Lucas's shirt and tugged him forward, so hard that it left him reeling for a second. Pausing, he looked over his shoulder to Henry, a menacing glint in his eye.

Henry suddenly caught on to what Adam was about to do. He used his arms to support himself, struggling to get up. 

_"NO!"_ He shouted, practically begging Adam to not harm him. But there was nothing that could be done.

In a quick movement, Adam brought the sharp dagger down into Lucas’ chest, using such force that it nearly scraped his spine, the sound of it digging into the flesh ringing out in the area around them.

The silence was harshly broken as Henry let out a scream full of anger, sorrow, and pure disbelief.

Adam gave a twisted smile, his pained yells music to his ears. Fueling his anger further, he forced the blade deeper, which contributed to the blood that was already running out of the wound like water. As Lucas slumped over his arm, he allowed the boy to fall to the ground, immobile.

Finally, he turned back around to Henry, who had his head towards the ground. He shoulders rose and fell with his quickening breath. He began to stand up with renewed energy that had seemed to come from nowhere. He was losing control to suppress his anger. He couldn't give Adam what he wanted. Under no circumstance, he couldn’t. He...just...

_Snap._

His anger broke free from the tight cage he had trapped it inside of. He didn't shout, however. He simply stood there and allowed his rage to take hold, forming a fiery aura around him in a furious shade of green. No, he didn't want to feel this way. Anger...sorrow...there were too many conflicting emotions, and to top it all off, it was damn hard to control. It took all his willpower not to lose himself.

Seeing that his goal had been formed, Adam gave a smirk, turning back to Lucas. He got down on one knee and cupped his face in his hand gently. "You see, my dear boy," He began, "Your death was apart of something bigger." With those last words, he gripped the handle and ripped the knife from within his crippled body, tossing it to the side.

Seeing that action, a growl rose up from Henry's throat as he switched his glare from his student to the man who had just killed him.

Adam turned around to face him, letting loose a shallow victorious laugh, knowing he had won. "How does it feel," He smirked once more. "To be engulfed by your own hatred?"

Henry didn't answer. He just continued to stare at his rival, as if he could look deep into his mind. Either he was contemplating something, Adam thought, or trying hard not to let his rage get the best of him.

"You refuse to answer?" Adam tilted his head to the side, raising an eyebrow.

Finally, Henry seemed to come back to reality, squinting his eyes as if there was a bright light. That was the last thing Adam saw before he felt pain that was somehow greater than his stab wound.

He had landed a solid kick into his chest, and before he could get knocked back by the momentum, Henry grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulling him mere inches from his face. His eyes begged for an answer.

"What have you done...?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"I gave you power." Adam simply answered, uncaring in any way. If he killed him, so be it. He would just reappear anyways. "My experiment is complete. You can do what you want with me."

Henry simply blinked, allowing the words to sink in and then, in a quick motion, he released his grip on the murderer's shirt, stepping back a bit.

"I won't kill you." He shook his head. Clearly there was some control still left in his being. "I won't give you that pleasure."

At that, Adam let out an amused laugh, finding what he said hilarious. "You have the capability to tear me apart, and that's what you respond with?" He spoke in between small chuckles. "I guess I'll just complete what I began, then." He turned his attention back towards Lucas, and the moment he took a step forward, something placed a hand on his shoulder. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

He also didn't even have time to register the pain he was feeling until a second after. It hit him like a ton of bricks, and as he was left gasping for air, he looked down.

Henry had taken the knife and ran it through Adam’s chest, directly through the heart, and out the other side. He hadn't done it, though. His anger had forced him to do it.

"So much...for fun..." Adam spoke his last words before his body slumped forward, and, after a few seconds, there was a bright flash of light and his body had simply disappeared into thin air, the knife dropping from the air to the ground and impaling it.

Henry stared at the blade for a long moment before he heard a painful groan. Lucas. 

Turning around quickly, wide eyed with a gasp, he dashed over to where his student was on the ground, bloody and battered. Henry dropped to the ground on his knees, breathing hard, dragging himself to his student. Lucas faintly groaned as Henry lifted Lucas into his arms, blood dripping down his arms. He looked down at Lucas as he gingerly held his battered upper body in his arms. The light in Lucas’s eyes were fading, his breath more labored with increased determination to live. All in vain. Guilt and sorrow overwhelmed Henry as his body wracked with sobs.  
“I’m-I’m so sorry, Lucas,” Henry gasped between tears. “I should have never asked any of this from you. I-I-I..I should have done more! I should have trained you better. I should have protected you. I failed as your teacher...as your friend.” Henry’s head hung with shame and defeat as tears trickled down his bruised face.

Henry opened his eyes as Lucas feebly rested his hand over Henry’s arm.

“Hey,” Lucas quietly rasped, “I’m here for you, doc.” Lucas’s pained smile began to fade. 

Henry gaped in alarm as his heart began to slow. "No...no!" He shouted in pure desperation. He could slowly feel his student's pulse slowing down softly. He cast his eyes away, trying to come up with anything-- _anything_ \--that could save his life. Slowly, he placed him on the ground, a hand on his heart.

That's when he saw it.

He looked over to Lucas's right arm, and, before his eyes, a cut on it slowly, but surely, healed itself. As he gasped in surprise, he looked up again, and saw that the furious aura that engulfed him had also encompassed Lucas.

"It has healing properties. Incredible." He quickly discovered. Maybe...just maybe...

He couldn't fully control his aura yet, but perhaps it would do the work if he directed it to a single point. Hand over hand, he pressed down onto his student's chest, trying to maintain the energy that he had built up. Sure enough, he could feel it flooding out his fingertips and around Lucas. He was going to push his limits and revive him.

"You won't die on me." Henry kept repeating. "I won't let you." He spoke words like that to keep reassuring himself that he could heal him to be alive again. After a grueling minute of a desperate mantra, he still felt nothing. Not a single movement.

He closed his eyes tightly, looking away, trying to repress the tears that wanted to fall. He drew his hands away, his aura finally disappearing. The effect hit him hard, and he collapsed next to Lucas, breathing deeply. He was able to turn himself over and stare at the sky, the clouds becoming thicker. A single raindrop fell from the sky, landing on the roof next to him. It was doing the crying for him. He had failed.

Henry put his head back, closing his eyes and accepting his failure as he damned himself.

_Doc..._

His thoughts tormented him once again. No...he couldn't listen.

_Hey, doc..._

It kept pestering. He groaned in response to it.

"Doc!"

Henry's eyes shot open. No, it wasn't his thoughts. Eyes wide, he turned his head to the side.

There he was. Living. Breathing. _Alive._

"Lucas...?" He asked softly as if it were just a mirage.

Lucas gave a weak smile. "Yep." He breathed as deep as he could to show that he was alive. "I felt you saving me."

"Well..." Henry gave a shallow laugh, but soon winced in pain. "Desperation can drive people to do things they wouldn't expect." He suddenly gave a small gasp, which prompted Lucas to look at him.

"What is it?" He asked, curious as ever.

That's when Henry gave a smile. "It wasn't anger that unlocked the aura." As Lucas gave a confused look, Henry continued. "It came in response to a need, not a desire. Desperation. The need to defeat Adam in order to save you." He began to sit up, even though every cell in his body hurt, but he fought it anyways. "Those wounds look bad..." He inquired, looking his student over.

That prompted him to laugh. "Same with you--ow..." Lucas began, but he winced in pain, gripping the wound where he had been stabbed. Due to Henry's efforts, he was able to speed up the cell regeneration within the wound, so it had begun to heal as dried blood caked the wound.

Ignoring the pain that wanted him to stop, Henry got down on his knees and gathered Lucas's body in his arms, lifted him up and to stand tall. Lucas’ legs began to shake. Henry gathered Lucas gently in his arms and carried him towards the door.

“We may have won the battle, Lucas,” Henry hummed to him softly, “But the war rages on.”

As he mused on that, he chuckled internally. _We have time on our side..._


End file.
